Family Herpesviridae and neuroinfections: current status and research in progress

Abstract

This article addresses the relationship between human herpesviruses (HHVs) and neuroinfections. Alphaherpesviruses, betaherpesviruses and gammaherpesviruses are neurotropic viruses that establish latency and exhibit reactivation capacity. Encephalitis and meningitis are common in cases of HHV. The condition promoted by HHV infection is a purported trigger for certain neurodegenerative diseases. Ongoing studies have identified an association between HSV-1 and the occurrence of Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis and infections by HHV-6 and Epstein-Barr virus. In this review, we highlight the importance of research investigating the role of herpesviruses in the pathogenesis of diseases that affect the nervous system and describe other studies in progress.

Mendelian randomization analysis suggests no associations of human herpes viruses with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

“…Among HHVs, the most well-known HSV can infect neurons and reach the CNS through retrograde axonal transport, ultimately leading to diseases such as encephalomyelitis, and several studies have shown that HSV is closely related to NDDs ( Carneiro et al, 2022 ). Primary infection with VZV causes varicella and can latently infect neurons.…”

miRNAs: Targets to Investigate Herpesvirus Infection Associated with Neurological Disorders

“…Among the nine herpesviruses, eight are considered neurotropic and are associated with different neurological outcomes [135], except for KSHV, which has not been studied in detail in the context of neurological diseases. Alphaherpesviruses can infect neurons and establish latency.…”

“…Passage across the blood-brain barrier is believed to be mediated by monocytes [143]. Betaherpesviruses can trigger encephalitis, neurodevelopmental deficits, meningoencephalitis, dizziness, and epilepsy [135]. Gammaherpesviruses predominantly establish latency in B cells [144].…”

“…Gammaherpesviruses predominantly establish latency in B cells [144]. However, EBV has been reported to replicate in the CNS and disrupt the integrity of the blood-brain barrier, triggering neurological disorders such as meningitis, encephalitis, myelitis, psychosis, and "Alice in Wonderland" syndrome [10,135].…”

“…Imaging exams, such as tomography and resonance, allow to visualize inflammation in the temporal lobe and can be used to help the diagnosis [145]. The quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) is used to detect the virus at early stages, the detecting viral DNA in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is considered the gold standard [135,146]. However, the sensitivity of the test depends on the material collection period, and false negative results may exist when samples are collected too early or too late [147].…”